Maj. Kevin H. Sonnenberg, 42, a pilot with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo, was killed June 15 when his F-16 crashed north of Baghdad during a close air support mission, per official news sources. The Toledo Blade reports that Sonnenberg was due to return soon from deployment to Balad Air Base, along with other wing airmen. There was no immediate word as to the cause of the crash. USAF has an investigation underway.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.